Andrea Holzwarth & Ashley Benne PLTW Launch (PreK-5)
Andrea Holzwarth & Ashley Benne
PLTW Launch (PreK-5)
Welcome &Introductions
Name, District, Position
Fist to Five: How Familiar are you with
PLTW Launch?
Launch (PreK-5): 269
Gateway: 227
Biomedical Science: 123
Computer Science: 100
Engineering: 170
Missouri Project Lead The Way (PLTW)
What can you expect with PLTW Launch?
• Provides Full Coverage of NGSS Expectations.
• Addresses a Rich Range of Standards.
• Common Core State Standards for mathematics and English language arts/literacy (K-5, with
scaffolding provided in PreK) •
• Computer Science Teachers Association K-12 Computer Science Standards (certain modules in K-5,
with scaffolding provided in PreK)
• National Association for the Education of Young Children Early Learning Program Standards (PreK)
• Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework (PreK)
• Provides Students Early and Equal Access.
• Available in both English & Spanish
What can you expect with PLTW Launch?
• Engages Students in Hands-on, Real-world Learning.
• Empowers Students with In-demand Skills.
• Provides Flexible Implementation to Schools and Teachers.
• Launch offers the flexibility districts and schools need to build a strong STEM foundation. Whether a
school needs an enrichment, special, whole grade or whole school solution, or a full in-class
science curriculum, they find that PLTW Launch meets their needs.
• Schools can implement PLTW Launch modules on iPads and Android tablets, as well as Android-
enabled Chromebooks.
• Inspires Teachers Through Transformative Professional Development.
Cont.
Activity, Project, Problem Based Approach(APB Approach)
Rosie’s Run Time
PLTW Sample Activity
‘Rosie’s Run Time’
• Computer Science: Animated Storytelling
• First Grade
• Computational Thinking
FREE downloadable activity for your group!
• K – 2 and 3 -5
• *Today’s activity is K-2.
Rosie’s Run Time
Introduction• In this life-sized game, students build a program out of code cards to direct Rosie the Robotic Dog through a grid to
find her bones and get to her doghouse without stepping in any mud puddles.
• Along the way students will discover that computers do exactly what you tell them, nothing more and nothing less!
Rosie’s Run Time
Learning Goals:
By the end of this activity, students will be able to:• Evaluate a problem, such as a maze or a puzzle, and construct a set of statements that, when carried out step-by-
step, will solve the problem.
• Explain in simple terms how humans control computers.
• Define a program as instructions written in a language that a computer can follow.
• Demonstrate persistence in the cycle of testing a program, finding errors, and fixing incorrect behavior.
Rosie’s Run Time
Overview
• In the Rosie’s Runtime game, Rosie the robotic dog wants to get her bones and bring them back to her
doghouse, but she must not get her paws dirty! Use the Rosie code cards to make a program that tells
Rosie how to get to her bones and then go to her doghouse. Remember to jump over mud puddles!
Rules
• Rosie must land on a bone before she can pick it up.
• Rosie cannot jump over a spot if doing so would take her off of the game grid.
• Rosie has to land on her doghouse to finish the game.
Game Pieces
Floor Tiles
Get Started!
Divide into groups of 4-5.
Build a program by putting code cards in a sequence to tell Rosie the steps she should take.
• Remember, Rosie is a robot, so she has a computer for a brain!
• That means she can only follow the commands on the code cards, and she will do exactly what the cards
say.
Finding & Fixing Bugs
If Rosie steps in a puddle, goes off the grid, or doesn’t have both bones with her upon arriving at
the doghouse, then the programmers say, “Bug in the program!”
The programmers then fix (de-bug) the program by taking back their code cards and rearranging
them as needed. When they are ready to try again, the programmers hand the code cards one at
a time to Rosie, who follows the instructions step by step.
Challenge #1
Conclusion Questions for Discussion
Can Rosie the Robot Dog figure out what you mean if you miss a step by accident? Why or
why not?
• Rosie does exactly what the code card in front of her says to do. She can’t guess what you mean, and she
doesn’t know what card is coming next. Rosie is a robot, so she can’t think for herself. She can only follow
instructions.
If you were going to write a step-by-step program for going from your classroom to the
gym, what would be the first three steps?
• Note: Often students miss the crucial first steps. Make sure that students start with steps such as “get up
out of your chair,” “walk to the classroom door,” etc.
Download Rosie's Runtime FREE for Your Class!
PLTW Rosie’s Runtime
Professional Development &
Resources
Launch Professional Development
Classroom Teacher
Training
Core Training
Lead Teacher
Training
Module
Instruction
Q&AAndrea Holzwarth
785.332.0293
Ashley Benne
314.369.6810
https://www.pltw.org/our-programs/pltw-launch